Donna Summer Album: “Endless Summer”

This is the best one-disc collection of Donna Summer's work, from her mid-70s disco period through the more ambitious work she tackled through most of the 80s.

What shows most is her versatility. She tackles disco camp (on 1976's #1 "Love To Love You Baby,") wanders in semi-classical disco swirl on "Could It Be Magic" and "MacArthur Park," takes on an early techno classic in "I Feel Love," and belts with Barbra on the set's weakest song, "Enough Is Enough."

Donna got better as disco faded. Her singing grew more compassionate as she tackled the characters in "On The Radio," "Dim All The Lights," and "The Wanderer." Ace producers like Quincy Jones (two from her 1982 self-titled set) and Michael Omartian (represented by "She Works Hard For The Money" and the closing gospel-pop number) also help. Omartian's "Any Way At All," and the opening Civilles-Cole dance number "Melody Of Love," show that if radio and record still pay attention, Donna Summer would be far from her "last dance," and could create music surpassing her previous best in that lockstep idiom. Highly recommended.

It is just so hard to imagine that people really seem to forget about how dynamic Disco music really is. While many people look at it as a guilty pleasure today, it was a trend back in the 70's and early 80's. While many people ignore Disco these days, back then, Donna Summer was all the talk of the DIsco scene. She proved to have the soul and the voice for Disco. Throughout the 70's, her voice broke so many boundaries left and right and all over. Although many people still overlook her voice these days, it is just unmistakeable. She has made so many great songs and still continues to influence people of all boundaries thick and thin.

Endless Summer, is a collection of Donna's biggest tunes from the 70's and early 80's.The songs are really nothing new, unless you just started to hear Disco for the first time. The album contains 18 of Donna's biggest songs including She Works Hard For The Money, Hot Stuff, Bad Girls, and This Time I Know Its For Real. The album also has some overlooked tracks that Donna had recorded including The Wanderer, a track that was highly overlooked from the early 80's, largely because of the Disco Sucks movement, State Of Independednce, and Any Way At All. Nonetheless, this collection is truly one of a kind, with a very beautiful voice.

Although many people may not find this Greatest Hits collection, inplace of her latest hits collection, The Journey: The Very Best Of Donna Summer, this collection does still showcase something very special from the Diva from Boston, MA. If you aren't really interested in Donna Summer's music, this collection might not be for you, but worth listening on that Last Dance.

This is Donna's best one-CD greatest hits album. However, this does not mean that it's PERFECT! Far from it! However, if you only want one CD of Donna's best work, then this is your option. "On The Radio" only contains her 1970s music and her recent compilations are not as good as "Endless Summer".

I do agree that "Dinner With Gershwin" along with my persoanl favorite "Winter Melody" should be included. Plus, this album does not contain liner notes, just recent (1994) poses of Donna not seen before.

This is a good collection of Summer's work throughout most of her recording career. It's the only disc I know that contains "Melody of Love (Wanna Be Loved)". I hadn't encountered this song until I bought this disc about a year and a half ago. It has a wonderful beat - very fine disco. Too bad this CD's producers hadn't bothered to disclose the year that song was written; my best guess it's from the early '90s. I'd be glad to be told by anyone who reads this review.

Also, a great plus of this disc is the inclusion of "This Time I Know It's For Real" and "Any Way At All", both are the sort of pop-disco Donna had never done before, during the early '80s in particular.

On the down side, not enough songs had been included in this collection - some of Donna's less famous songs could had been included, so its a pitty the producers stuck solely to her bestselling hits.

All in all, this disc is an excellent Donna Summer collection for any person interested in having a body of all of Summer's greatest hits till '95, without caring to explore further into her work.

Being the teenager I am, I knew a couple of Donna Summer songs, but I wasn't even alive in her prime (mid-late 70's and early 80's.) I decided to buy this mainly for the few songs I knew and got a pleasent surprise. She actually sings a lot of songs I know. My faves are the two songs I bought the CD for. "Love To Love You Baby" is the 1976 classic which was pretty controversial upon its release (one listen says why.) She refuses to sing it anymore. Also, the awesome disco track "I Feel Love" with its soaring chorus. Then there are also the well-known and equally hits "Bad Girls" and "Hot Stuff" which I'm sure everyone has heard at one time or another. Plus, we have the dancefloor standards "Last Dance" and "Dim All the Lights." Another favorite of mine is the '83 smash "She Works Hard For the Money." So, in closing this a great dance album. Donna Summer is a fantastic vocalist. This is a great deal and you get all of her hits on one CD.